The present invention relates to a tubing splicing machine, and more particularly, a splicing machine for splicing quasi-endless lengths of tubing or hose used in underground petroleum recovery and gathering operations.
Underground tubing used in petroleum recovery and gathering requires tubing lengths that extend 5000 feet or more. These lengths can be lowered vertically into underground petroleum deposits through well heads or laid horizontally to transport oil and gas from a well to a processing facility. An environmental requirement for the industry is that such lengths of tubing or hose cannot have mechanical couplings which can become undone. Currently, the tubing or hose used in many such applications is made from a multi-layer polymeric material and when a splice is required, individual coupling members are permanently swaged onto the ends of the quasi-endless lengths of tubing to be joined. These swaged-on couplings are then welded together so that a permanent splice is created.
Such splices cannot be entirely avoided by forming the hose or tubing in one piece because the coils of the hose or tubing used are limited to a certain length for transport, for example, 1000 to 2500 feet depending upon the specific hose or tubing. However, given these great lengths, these hoses or tubes are considered to be quasi-endless.
In the known field splicing operation, a simple swaging device can be used which attaches a coupling to an end of the tubing. Such couplings generally have an insertion portion that extends into the end of the tube and a collar which extends over the outside of the tube. The known equipment can either expand the insert outwardly or crimp the collar inwardly, trapping the hose or tubing material between the collar and the insert. However, this known swaging equipment requires open access to the tubing end for removal of the installation equipment once the coupling is swaged in place.
It would be desirable to provide a more efficient means for splicing quasi-endless lengths of tubing or hose which avoids the need for welding and can be easily carried out in the field in a simple and efficient manner.